By Christina Fernández-Morrow, Hola Nebraska
As a child in Chihuahua, Mexico, Karen Corral de Pesek spent hours on her grandparents’ floor imagining bold futures with her Barbies—often transforming them into confident executives with briefcases crafted from scraps she found at home. What began as a childhood game has come full circle: today, Corral de Pesek is a business leader, mentor, and advocate who creates opportunities for others to dream as big as she once did.
“I want to be the voice that tells them their dreams are valid, that they can do it, and that I’m here to help,” she says with conviction.
From Accounting to Advocacy
Though her imagination once mirrored Barbie’s world, her academic path was pragmatic: she studied accounting, a choice that took her into the corporate world and led to a professional stint in Mexico City with her husband. That experience deepened her ties to her culture and gave her the resolve to serve her community back in Nebraska.
Her entrepreneurial side—nurtured by her father, a longtime grocery store owner in the state—emerged when her husband finished law school. She encouraged him to take a leap and start his own practice. Together, they launched a free legal clinic in a church basement, which became the heart of their mission to provide access to justice.
Not everyone believed in the vision. “We were told by other lawyers not to work with Latinos, that Latinos didn’t have money,” she recalls. But she trusted her instincts. In time, that decision gave rise to Pesek Law, LLC, now Nebraska’s largest fully bilingual law firm, celebrating over a decade of service.
A Law Firm with a Mission
Today, Corral de Pesek serves as the firm’s Chief Financial Officer while her husband practices law. Their focus is clear: Spanish-speaking clients are never an afterthought—they are the priority.
“We represent victims of negligence, but what sets us apart is that we place Spanish-speaking clients at the center of our work,” she explains. Her long-term goal is to increase the number of Latino trial attorneys who can represent their communities authentically.
The firm’s growth, she says, means one thing: more capacity to give back.
True Potential Scholarship
Just three years after starting the clinic, Corral de Pesek created the True Potential Scholarship. Initially built to serve DACA and TPS students, the scholarship has expanded to support immigrant youth who cannot access federal financial aid.
Since its launch in 2013, the program has helped nearly 300 students pursue higher education. One of its proudest milestones? The first DACA recipient to pass the bar in Nebraska is now a trial attorney at Pesek Law.
Building the Next Generation of Professionals
Beyond scholarships, mentorship has become central to Corral de Pesek’s vision. Through her firm, she mentors scholars and young professionals, while her husband supports aspiring law students. Pesek Law regularly collaborates with organizations such as the Hispanic Association of Latino Law Students at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln, hosting events and sharing knowledge.
Her dream is to establish new professional networks dedicated to Latino advancement—such as associations for Latino lawyers and accountants—that can provide long-term support for future leaders.
Living the Dream She Once Imagined
For Corral de Pesek, every step—whether through her law firm, her scholarship fund, or her mentorship initiatives—is about building pathways for others. She has become the role model she once invented for her childhood Barbies: a woman opening doors and lifting others with her.
“I think it’s very important that we support one another and build Latino professionals who want to serve the Latino community, using their Spanish directly with the people,” she says.
Her story is proof that following instincts, paired with perseverance and purpose, can transform childhood dreams into a lasting legacy of empowerment.
Learn more about Pesek Law, LLC and their mission at www.peseklaw.com
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